It's that time of year on campuses around the United States, and maybe even the world, that all currently enrolled students dislike. During the summer months, university and college campuses become flooded with thousands of new freshman with their parents in tow who have come to visit their chosen school and take their orientation tours and advising sessions in preparation for beginning classes for the coming Fall semester. These orientation mobs are far worse than the tours that one might see at other points during the year when students show up during the Fall semester to just visit the schools so that they have see if they like the place before they apply there. The mandatory orientation session I can understand, but this second college visit and tour that I've just mentioned baffles me. Allow me to explain. Back when I was applying for college, I will admit that I was extremely confused. I didn't know where I wanted to go. I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I didn't know the difference between good schools and bad schools. I basically just wanted to get away from the frigid winters of New York. The choices that I made for schools to apply to were, in some cases smart, and in others pretty dumb. I'm not saying that I regret where I went or what I did, but my choices weren't very educated. You see, I was the first person in my family to go to college right out of high school. Others in my family went to some speciality school, like my mother going to nursing school for example, or my aunt going to cosmetology school. No one had taken on the four-year university though. Therefore, no one had any idea of what was going on or what to suggest to me. I was pretty much on my own in the decision making process. I had read on the websites and brochures for various schools, in particular the ones that I wanted to apply to, that tours could be "arranged" for visitors. Well, if you knew anything about me in high school, you would know two things; 1) I didn't have any free time to be galavanting around the country touring schools 2) There was no way I was going to ask my parents to foot the bill to pay for me to travel all over the country touring schools. As a result, I read up the best I could on the various schools, reminding myself that just going anywhere was going to be a great thing, and I made my decision on a school based upon the information that I had available to me. I had all four schools to choose from, so it came down to financials. I still to this day don't know how choosing to go to Florida State University was the most economical option that I had based upon the amount of student loan debt I currently have, but alas here I am, and there I've been. I can't look back and regret going to that particular school, because if I hadn't played out my life exactly as I have, how can I know that I would end up as happy and fulfilled as I am right at this very moment with what I do, what I know, who I know, and what I study. If I could give any piece of advice to young students and parents out there from what I've experienced, it would be to find a way to make it work. If you get into a great school as opposed to a good school, and it's going to cost a little more...find a way to make it work. Take out the loans, because it's only going to work out for the best in the long run. You will take out the loans now in order to get the education that you need to make great grades, get a great job, and make money to pay off those loans. Now, if you're just going to go to school to screw around, then don't waste yours and everyone else's time, because you're just taking up a spot for someone else who is going to work hard. Secondly, I would advise people who are fickle or difficult to please to try and visit their potential schools. I put a little stipulation on this though. I think college visits are pretty ridiculous. I turned out just fine not having visited my undergrad school until orientation, and I didn't visit my graduate school until I moved up here to start a month before classes began. When you have your place, you'll just know it. On the other hand, if you can afford to take a road trip or fly around and visit the schools that you're thinking about, definitely do it. Just keep in mind the financial burden that comes along with it. Think of the travel costs, the hotel costs, the cost of food in an unfamiliar place...rentals cars, taxis, etc. etc. etc. Also think of what you're going to do when you visit the school. Are you going to go through a campus tour group? Keep in mind that these tours are designed to show you what they want you to see. Make sure that you go and explore. Try and meet a professor from the department you want to be in, or try to arrange to meet some other students who study what you want to study. Just be smart and be economically intelligent when it comes to decided about where you want to go to school and where you want to visit. It will all pay off in the long run. Good luck to all the new college and graduate school students out there!